SE Texas kids vote for president

Julie Chan, Beaumont Enterprise

By Julie Chang, By Joe Holley

Updated 9:02 am, Thursday, November 1, 2012

Kennedy LeJune looks over her vote after she cast it for President Obama. The big black check mark is how the program shows the kids who they voted for. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Kennedy LeJune looks over her vote after she cast it for President...

Cindy Torres listens to instructions about the computer program her school is using for all the older kids to use, to vote for the next President of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Cindy Torres listens to instructions about the computer program her...

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden kids, like Kiara Bell, to drop their ballot into while being watched over by two election judges. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden...

Principal Emily Moore talks about the computer program her school is using for the kids to vote for the next president of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Principal Emily Moore talks about the computer program her school...

Ali Hammad looks over his vote after he cast it for President Obama. The big black check mark is how the program shows the kids who they voted for. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Ali Hammad looks over his vote after he cast it for President...

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden kids, like Valeria Galvan, to drop their ballot into while being watched over by two election judges. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden...

Principal Emily Moore talks about the computer program her school is using for the kids to vote for the next president of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Principal Emily Moore talks about the computer program her school...

Tyrone Brown listens to instructions about the computer program his school is using for all the older kids to use to vote for the next president of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Tyrone Brown listens to instructions about the computer program his...

Principal Emily Moore, center gives instructions to the kids to hustle out so the next class can come in and listen to instructions about the computer program being used for all the older kids to vote for the next President of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Principal Emily Moore, center gives instructions to the kids to...

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden kids, like Katelyn Olivares, to drop their ballot into while being watched over by two election judges. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden...

In the hallway outside the computer room were posters listing why each grade level was voting. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

In the hallway outside the computer room were posters listing why...

Sue Foster gives instructions to another class about how they needed to sign their names next to a printed version, just like they do at a real precinct, before they go in and use the computer program that was being used to vote for the next President of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Sue Foster gives instructions to another class about how they...

Liberty Grace, left, gets set to cast her vote for the next President of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Liberty Grace, left, gets set to cast her vote for the next...

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden kids, like Caiden Getwood, to drop their ballot into while being watched over by two election judges. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Out in the hallway, a ballot box was set up for the kindergarden...

Teacher Ashley Bourgeois gives instructions to her class before they go in and use the computer program being used for all the older kids to vote for the next President of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Teacher Ashley Bourgeois gives instructions to her class before...

Principal Emily Moore, right, checks the kids voter registration cards before they entered the computer room to vote for the next President of the United States. She was also waving her VOTE clapper as they went in. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Principal Emily Moore, right, checks the kids voter registration...

It was hat day at the school and some of the voters, like third grader Jillian Baker, center, wore his hat to vote for the next President of the United States. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

It was hat day at the school and some of the voters, like third...

Liberty Grace, center, gets her I voted sticker stuck to her shirt as she and her classmates leave the computer room. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Liberty Grace, center, gets her I voted sticker stuck to her shirt...

Two computers show how two classmates voted before the next class came in. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Two computers show how two classmates voted before the next class...

Ridgewood first grade teacher Holly Sartin reads "My Teacher for President" to her class Tuesday morning. Ridgewood Elementary was having lessons to prepare their students to take a vote for president on November 6, 2012. They usually vote Republican. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Ridgewood first grade teacher Holly Sartin reads "My Teacher for...

As Ridgewood first grade teacher Holly Sartin reads "My Teacher for President" to her class Tuesday morning, Evan Klutts was looking at the other side of the room. Ridgewood Elementary was having lessons to prepare their students to take a vote for president on November 6, 2012. They usually vote Republican. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

The computer program shows that the voting time had been extendy to the hurricane hitting the east coast. At Terryll Elementary in Port Arthur, students were casting their vote to for president via an online survey and the kindergarden kids were using a ballot box. They usually vote Democrat. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

The computer program shows that the voting time had been extendy to...

Ridgewood first grade teacher Holly Sartin reads "My Teacher for President" to her class Tuesday morning. Ridgewood Elementary was having lessons to prepare their students to take a vote for president on November 6, 2012. They usually vote Republican. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

Photo: Dave Ryan

Ridgewood first grade teacher Holly Sartin reads "My Teacher for...

As Ridgewood first grade teacher Holly Sartin reads "My Teacher for President" to her class Tuesday morning, Claire Gauthier waits for the page to be turned. Ridgewood Elementary was having lessons to prepare their students to take a vote for president on November 6, 2012. They usually vote Republican. Most students usually vote the way their parents do. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise